Many people desire a richer and more satisfying life. Yet many do not realize their desires. Perhaps it is not the desire itself but the mindset that leads to frustration. Consider these 6 “be’s” of thinking that create a mindset for deep life satisfaction.

Be joyful

Every day find at least five reasons to smile, to laugh, to dance. As you go through your day revel in the beauty of the sky, the trees, the songs of the bird, the colors of the landscape. Teach your heart to sing. Babies and toddlers are marvelous examples of joyfulness. It’s innate, a birthright. You just need to reconnect with your sense of magic and wonder. Joy is contagious. The more you express it the more you help others find it in themselves. Be joyful when things don’t go as planned; celebrate your resilience and lessons learned. Grasp the truth that joy is a gift from your Creator

“Every day find a reason to smile, laugh, and dance”

Be grateful

Joy and gratitude go hand in hand. Let your first thoughts of the day be about gratitude for all that life has given you and continues to give you with each moment. Let your last thoughts of the day be about all that you are grateful for as you review the day. Gratitude is a way of honoring life that yields rich benefits, for gratitude creates the conditions for more abundance in your life, materially and spiritually. The more you honor gratitude the more youwill have to be grateful for.

Be generous

Generosity and gratitude go hand in hand. Generosity and prosperity go hand in hand. An important teaching of Jesus says “give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap”. You may wonder what you have to give. Generosity far exceeds material giving. You are magnificently equipped to give. Give of your time to people who need companionship and a human touch. Give of your service to your local and global communities. Give encouragement to someone who needs to be uplifted. And yes, give of your material resources. Martin Luther King Jr. said it this way “life’s most persistent and urgent question is what you are doing for others?” When you embrace generosity as a way of living you acknowledge the flow of abundance of the universe. Generosity blesses, indeed transforms, the giver as it blesses the receiver.

Be optimistic

Adopting an optimistic view of life creates more personal happiness. It is no secret that optimistic people are happier and more satisfied with their life. They are not optimistic because their lives are more satisfying; their lives are more satisfying because they are optimistic

Expect the best in people, in situations and circumstances. How you think is vastly important. Your minds responses to the thoughts you habitually entertain, producing positive or negative feelings and behavior. Positive thoughts create positive results. Negative thoughts create negative results. Optimism is a choice. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by choosing to be optimistic and opening your life to new possibilities.

Be visionary

Visualize what you want to see in yourself and in your life. Create vibrant pictures, using all your senses. What are you hearing? What are you seeing? What are you touching? Above all what are you feeling? Feel the joy and excitement you experience when your vision becomes reality. Go deep. Make this real. The mind does not know the difference between what is real and what is imagined and will seek to manifest what you visualize. The more deeply you internalize your vision, the more you will behave in ways that attract the manifestation of that vision and the more people and circumstances align in your favor.

Be spiritually grounded

Be in touch with your spiritual self. It has been said that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I am unashamedly Christian and this connection has enriched my life beyond measure. Yet I see the beauty in the lives of my brothers and sisters spiritually grounded in Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and other religions. Whether you are religiously affiliated or not, recognize the importance of connecting to the Divine however you do so. The material world is not enough. It is through acknowledging and being connected to our spiritual selves that true meaning is found.

©Sheila Stevens, 2018